Give Your Life Direction

Life is a grand journey indeed, but without direction it's easy to get lost
along the way. Direction also serves to keep us focused and helps us to
maintain a positive outlook. In my own life, I've found three basic
principles helpful in adding direction and increasing positive forward
momentum; Establishing Goals, Maneuvering Past Obstacles, and Conquering
Problems.

ESTABLISHING GOALS

Setting goals is one way to give our lives direction and purpose. Without
these it's easy to fall into the trap of running in circles – never
achieving what we want in life. When setting goals it's important to set
both long and short term goals.

One function of your short term goals is to keep you on track to
accomplishing your long term goals. Think of it this way; your long term
goals are something you put up on a high shelf, and your short term goals are
the ladder you use to reach that shelf – each rung of the ladder being a
different short term goal. With each step up the ladder you achieve another
short term goal and get just that much closer to achieving your long term
goals.

When you apply this "ladder" approach to setting and achieving goals, you do
two things:

First, you give yourself positive reinforcement by achieving a different goal
with each step up the ladder. This gives you a feeling of success and
provides a sense of continual forward motion – forever moving closer to your
long term goals.

Secondly, your short term goal ladder provides you with a roadmap of sorts –
guiding you to your long term goals.

No matter what goals you set for yourself this simple technique can help keep
you focused and positive, better allowing you to achieve success.

MANEUVERING PAST OBSTACLES

Even with the best of planning, one thing is certain – life will always throw
us a curve ball. It's not possible to make contingency plans for all
possible obstacle which may block our path down the road. A more realistic
approach is to simply accept the fact that along our life's journey we will
encounter obstacles. By accepting this fact and resolving in our minds that
when we encounter these obstacles we will not allow these to impede our
forward progress, we better enable ourselves to deal with these situations
when they arise.

Think of it as going on a road-trip. You select your destination and
carefully plan your route. You pack your bags and have the car serviced in
preparation for the trip. You've done all things necessary to ensure a safe
and enjoyable journey. However, after driving only a short distance you
encounter an unexpected detour. This wasn't part of your original plan and
certainly wasn't accounted for in the route you designed. What do you do?
Do you stop and do nothing? Do you turn your car around and head for home?
Of course not. You assess the situation, check your map for the best way
around the obstacle, follow whatever detour signs may be posted, and continue
on.

Accepting the fact that we will encounter obstacles along our journey is the
first step to being able to maneuver around these when they inevitably arise.

CONQUERING PROBLEMS

Conquering problems and maneuvering past obstacles go hand in hand. One key
in effectively dealing with the problems we face is dispatching them as
quickly as we encounter them. Ignoring problems may work in the short term,
but without fail these problems return, and when they do they are often much
larger and more difficult to manage.

Unfortunately, there will be times when we are faced with problems which
appear ominous – problems of such magnitude we feel overwhelmed and helpless
to resolve them. When we encounter these types of problems it is crucial
that we don't focus on the problem as a whole. Typically these ominous
problems are not just one problem, but rather a series of small problems all
rolled into one.

Break down the problem into parts. Then focus on resolving one part at a
time. Just as the short term goal ladder gives us confidence and direction,
so does conquering each part of a large problem one by one. As we move
forward, solving parts of the larger problem, we get a sense of
accomplishment which provides us with the confidence and direction needed to
continue on. Before we know it, that once ominous problem is now completely
and effectively resolved, allowing us to get back on track.

One last thing about conquering problems; sometimes no matter how hard we try
there will be problems which cannot be solved – problems which are out of our
control. When we encounter these types of problems we need to recognize them
for what they are and focus our energy on revising our "roadmap" rather than
butting our heads against something which is not within our control and
cannot be changed. I once heard it said, "If there IS a solution to the
problem, why be unhappy? If there's NOT a solution to the problem, why be
unhappy?

Give your life direction – set some goals, design your own life's roadmap,
have the courage and confidence to move past whatever obstacles and problems
block your way. Remember, life stands still for no one. If we're not moving
forward, we most assuredly are falling behind. And perhaps most importantly,
don't forget to enjoy the journey itself. Happiness and fulfillment are
meant to be found along the way, not some prize to be had at the journey's
end.

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About The Author:

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